(I Wanna) Testify
Encyclopedia
" Testify" is the first hit single by the Detroit soul
singing group The Parliaments
. The single was released at the beginning of the summer of 1967 by Revilot Records. The single went to #3 on Billboard
R&B chart and #20 on the Pop chart. It would be the only major hit for the group for the entire decade. The only member of the Parliaments to actually appear on the recording was group leader George Clinton
, as the group was based in New Jersey at the time and only Clinton was able to travel to Detroit for the session. The recording was rounded off by session singers and musicians.
"(I Wanna) Testify" was reissued in 1969 on the Soultown label (Soultown 502-A). It was issued in Canada
on the Transworld label (TW-1677) and on the Track
label (Track 604032) in the UK. The first time that the single appeared on an album was the Track Records release Backtrack 6 in 1970 (Track 2407 006).
Group leader George Clinton
later produced remakes of both "(I Wanna) Testify" and its B-side "I Can Feel The Ice Melting". The former appeared on the 1974 Parliament
album Up For The Down Stroke
under the abbreviated title "Testify
". "I Can Feel The Ice Melting" was re-done by Otis Day and the Knights
in 1989. Another P-Funk
spin-off act, the Brides Of Funkenstein recorded a version of "I Can Feel The Ice Melting" in 1978, but the track wasn't released until the 1993 archival release "A Fifth Of Funk
". That recording was produced by P-Funk production assistant Ron Dunbar.
Johnnie Taylor
remade "(I Wanna Testify)" for his 1969 The Johnnie Taylor Philosophy Continues album - a Don Davis production - from which it was issued as the lead single in April 1969: Taylor's version rose as high as #4 R&B and crossed over to the Pop Top 40 at #36.
George Clinton himself produced a 1978 remake of "(I Wanna) Testify" by the Dells
: the track was released as a single off the album New Beginnings but failed to chart.
"(I Wanna) Testify" has also been covered by disco
act Cindy and Roy, Noel Paul Stookey, Roger Taylor
and Ronnie Wood.
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
singing group The Parliaments
The Parliaments
The Parliaments were a doo-wop quintet from Plainfield, New Jersey, formed in the back room of a barbershop in the late 1950s and named after the cigarette brand. After some early personnel changes their lineup solidified with George Clinton, Ray Davis, Fuzzy Haskins, Calvin Simon, and Grady Thomas...
. The single was released at the beginning of the summer of 1967 by Revilot Records. The single went to #3 on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
R&B chart and #20 on the Pop chart. It would be the only major hit for the group for the entire decade. The only member of the Parliaments to actually appear on the recording was group leader George Clinton
George Clinton (funk musician)
George Clinton is an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and music producer and the principal architect of P-Funk. He was the mastermind of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic during the 1970s and early 1980s, and launched a solo career in 1981. He has been cited as one of the foremost...
, as the group was based in New Jersey at the time and only Clinton was able to travel to Detroit for the session. The recording was rounded off by session singers and musicians.
"(I Wanna) Testify" was reissued in 1969 on the Soultown label (Soultown 502-A). It was issued in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on the Transworld label (TW-1677) and on the Track
Track Records
Track Records is an English record label founded in London in 1966 by Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp, then managers of hard rock band The Who. The most successful artists whose work appeared on the Track label were The Jimi Hendrix Experience, The Who, The Crazy World of Arthur Brown, Thunderclap...
label (Track 604032) in the UK. The first time that the single appeared on an album was the Track Records release Backtrack 6 in 1970 (Track 2407 006).
Group leader George Clinton
George Clinton (funk musician)
George Clinton is an American singer, songwriter, bandleader, and music producer and the principal architect of P-Funk. He was the mastermind of the bands Parliament and Funkadelic during the 1970s and early 1980s, and launched a solo career in 1981. He has been cited as one of the foremost...
later produced remakes of both "(I Wanna) Testify" and its B-side "I Can Feel The Ice Melting". The former appeared on the 1974 Parliament
Parliament (band)
Parliament was a funk band most prominent during the 1970s. It and its sister act Funkadelic, both led by George Clinton, began the funk music culture of that decade.-History:...
album Up For The Down Stroke
Up for the Down Stroke
Up for the Down Stroke is a 1974 album by Parliament. It was the band's second album , and their first to be released on Casablanca Records. The album's title track was Parliament's first chart hit and remains one of the most well-known P-Funk songs...
under the abbreviated title "Testify
Testify (Parliament song)
"Testify" is a song by the band Parliament. It is a funk reworking of the song " Testify", which was originally recorded in 1967 by The Parliaments and reached #3 on the Billboard R&B chart...
". "I Can Feel The Ice Melting" was re-done by Otis Day and the Knights
Otis Day and the Knights
Otis Day and the Knights was originally created as a fictional band to perform in the movie National Lampoon's Animal House. They are best known for their version of "Shout" and "Shama Lama Ding Dong". Otis Day was played by DeWayne Jessie. Robert Cray was one of the members of the band in the...
in 1989. Another P-Funk
P-Funk
P-Funk is a shorthand term for the repertoire and performers associated with George Clinton and the Parliament-Funkadelic collective and the distinctive style of funk music they performed...
spin-off act, the Brides Of Funkenstein recorded a version of "I Can Feel The Ice Melting" in 1978, but the track wasn't released until the 1993 archival release "A Fifth Of Funk
A Fifth Of Funk
A Fifth of Funk is the fifth and final installment of the George Clinton Family Series collection by Parliament-Funkadelic collective members. The album was released in 1993 by P-Vine Records in Japan, and then was released later in the same year by AEM Records in the United States and Sequel...
". That recording was produced by P-Funk production assistant Ron Dunbar.
Johnnie Taylor
Johnnie Taylor
Johnnie Harrison Taylor was an American vocalist in a wide variety of genres, from rhythm and blues, soul, blues and gospel to pop, doo-wop and disco.-Early years:...
remade "(I Wanna Testify)" for his 1969 The Johnnie Taylor Philosophy Continues album - a Don Davis production - from which it was issued as the lead single in April 1969: Taylor's version rose as high as #4 R&B and crossed over to the Pop Top 40 at #36.
George Clinton himself produced a 1978 remake of "(I Wanna) Testify" by the Dells
The Dells
The Dells are an R&B and crossover musical group. Their successful recordings spanned more than four decades. Formed in 1952 after attending high school together, the Dells' repertoire has included doo-wop, jazz, soul, disco and contemporary rhythm and blues...
: the track was released as a single off the album New Beginnings but failed to chart.
"(I Wanna) Testify" has also been covered by disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
act Cindy and Roy, Noel Paul Stookey, Roger Taylor
Roger Meddows-Taylor
Roger Meddows Taylor , known as Roger Taylor, is a British musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is best known as the drummer, backing vocalist and occasional lead vocalist of British rock band Queen. As a drummer he is known for his "big" unique sound and is considered one of...
and Ronnie Wood.